The lipid, fatty acid and fatty alcohol composition of the myctophid fish Electrona antarctica : high level of wax esters and f ood-chain implications

• Published in: Antarctic Science
• Main Authors: Phleger, C, Nichols, P, Virtue, P
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge Univ Press 1997
• Subjects: Biological Sciences; Ecology; Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology); Antarctic; Antarctic Peninsula; East Antarctica; Elephant Island; Antarc*; Antarctic Science; Antarctica; E. Antarctica; Copepods
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954102097000345; http://ecite.utas.edu.au/90439

The myctophid, Electrona antarctica, was collected by trawl from the Elephant Island region ofthe Antarctic Peninsula, and from East Antarctica near 61"s and 93"W. Total lipid was higher in ElephantIsland E. antarctica (whole fish, 466-585 mg g* dry weight) than those from Eastern Antarctica (394-459mg g-I). Wax esters comprised 86.2-90.5% of total lipid in E. antarctica flesh. There were no significantdifferences between Eastern Antarctica and Elephant Island in total wax ester levels, or in levels of wax estersbetween different tissues analysed. Oily bones (up to 326 mg g1 in the neurocranium) characterizedE. antarctica from both locations, with wax esters as the major skeletal lipid class (67.0-87.9%, percent oflipid). The wax esters may have a buoyancy role in E. antarctica. The only substantial amount oftriacylglycerols (29.4%) were found in the viscera of Elephant Island fish. The principal fatty acids of all fishanalysed included the monounsaturated fatty acids 18:l(n-9) and 16:1(n-7), with lower levels of 16:O and 14:Osaturated acids. Fatty alcohols were dominated by the saturated 16:O and 14:O (37.8-47.8%) and themonounsaturated 18:l(n-9) and 18:l(n-7) (38.3-59.2%). The low ratio of 22:1/20:1 alcohols observed forE. antarctica is consistent with a diet of amphipods, copepods and other items low in 22:l alcohols.